It was not an amazing day to start though. Troi Urban, her boyfriend from the First Cohort, knocked on the door. Gosh, she thought, would it be another attack or something? Aferdita can't afford to think for so long. She hurriedly rushed from her cell outside.
As they made their way, Aferdita was pre-occupied with her dream last night. She missed her father so much. The last time they met was last summer on a quest. Aferdita just kept following Troi until they reached the Aqueduct.
"Are you okay, babe?" he asked
"Yep, let's keep going" she lied.
Demigods of all cohorts were there at the river shore, others kept coming. Reyna, riding on her horse, was facing to a 65 ft tall Coast Redwood tree. Lars gasped. The forest dryads were very surprised.
"As far as I can remember, we never had a tree that tall." The satyr Don said while eating a can of Pepsi.
Aferdita suddenly remembered something from her past. Something her father had said when she was 7 years old. A girl engulfed by nature's mercy.
Aferdita was surprised. The thought just popped out from her head. Part of her told her that that line has something to do with that three.
"That...tree...needs...to be cuut" The centaur Dakota butted in at our side.
"Oh man, you're drunk again." Troi said
"Oh shut up, Troi. Want some?" he said while offering a Kool-Aid from his hands.
"Dude, snap out of it!" Troi demanded
"Whatever" Dakota muttered. He made his way through the crowd bumping some demigod.
"What the hell is that." Troi said.
"I think-
"This is another attack from the Greeks!" Octavian silenced the crowd "This tree needs to be destroyed right now!'
"Stop it, Octavian. You are not sure what is that." Reyna said.
"Then what, Reyna? You will let this Camp be attacked again?" Octavian said. Reyna was stunned and couldn't utter a word.
A catapult positioned at the back of Aferdita and Troi. First Cohort demigods were there and loaded the catapult with a special kind of ball. Engraved are ancient Roman writings. An Hephaestus child must've made that, she thought.
"Fire!" Octavian commanded.
Ray from the First Cohort slashed the rope clinging from the basin of the catapult to the ground. The arm swung upwards and the ball flew to the direction of the tree. Demigods from the front line backed. As fast as the ball flew, a vine behind the tree deflected the ball changing the direction onto the river. An explosion shook the crowd and drizzles of water showered the crowd.
"Hell yeah!" Troi shouted. I stomped his feet and he shut up.
"Demigods! What are you doing?!" a powerful voice stunned the crowd. A woman in white dress fashioned in dangling frills with a flower crown encircling her head rose from the crowd approaching the middle layer of the tree. Suddenly, all kinds of plant in the shore blossomed and were somewhat delighted by her presence.
"Destroying plants is such a shameful act, children of Rome." she said calmly. "Am I right, augur?" she faced Octavian.
"Y-yes, your majesty." Octavian was stunned.
"Perhaps, I should order you all to do a clean up drive and some tree planting activities. But nevermind. I am here to for an important reason. Months ago, my brother, Jupiter, closed Olympus because he has gone paranoid. Fortunately, my power still let me to have an apparition here. This three might save us all and us actually, the gods." She turned around and touched the surface of the three. Suddenly, it glowed. Gasps started to arise from the crowd.
"Silence!" she ordered. In the middle layer of the tree, a big hole opened like you are opening a zipper. Inside was an outline of a girl, sleeping. "She has been in slumber for centuries. She has a big mission to fulfill! I will trust her to you, Romans. Can I be assured of you loyalty?" She turned to Reyna. Reyna was as stunned as Octavian but she managed to do an assuring gesture.
"Farewell for now, children of Rome" Butterflies swarmed her and she disappeared. As she disappeared, the tree glowed even more. The glow was absorbed by the outline until the tree wasn't there anymore but a girl lying on the ground.
Everyone was so shocked. Girls from the Third Cohort made sounds like "Oh". Aferdita made her way through the crowd with Troi on her back following her. Lying on the ground was an olive-haired pale girl in school uniform. On the upper right bodice of the uniform was the UK flag sewed on it.
She coughed and gently opened her eyes. Aferdita was stunned, her iris are red. She couldn't help but to smile. Tears fell down from her eyes. She can't explain why. She was stunned as well.
"H-hi. I'm Aferdita" she said smilingly.
"I am Lisa Vanderwood." she answered "Daughter of Demeter."
